Uganda was defeated by five wickets at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy Stadium in Tarouba, San Fernando, in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Despite a loss to Namibia in their first warm-up match at the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20 World Cup, Uganda found many positives to take away from the game.
Playing under floodlights at an ICC event and giving each of the 14 players in Uganda’s squad a chance to participate were significant highlights of the match.
Namibia secured the win with only seven balls remaining, indicating a strong performance by the Ugandan bowlers who pushed the game into the 19th over after the batsmen set a target of just 134 runs on a slow-paced wicket.
Left-arm orthodox spinner Henry Ssenyondo was particularly impressive, taking 2 wickets for 14 runs in 3 overs. He claimed the crucial wickets of Jean Pierre Kotze (29 off 31) and Namibian captain Gerhard Erasmus (2 off 4).
Earlier in the match, top-order batsman Roger Mukasa, batting at No. 4, constructed a steady half-century, scoring an unbeaten 51 runs off 41 balls, including six boundaries and one six, helping Uganda set a respectable total.
Opener Robinson Obuya also contributed significantly with 38 runs off 27 balls, featuring four boundaries and two sixes.
However, there were areas for improvement. Several Ugandan batsmen struggled to get starts and consumed many dot balls.
The fielding was also below par, with at least four catches, two stumpings, and one run-out missed.
Namibia’s top scorer, Nikolaas Davin (54 off 34), capitalized on these fielding lapses, to deliver a match-winning performance.
Uganda will aim to showcase further improvements in their next warm-up match against Scotland on Thursday at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad & Tobago.
Away from the loss, Team Uganda will participate in ICC media obligations, including a photoshoot, profiling, previews, and interviews, at the Hyatt Regency in Trinidad & Tobago.
Courtesy Photos
